Rail-clamp.



0.0. BORDSON.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. :0. 1918.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

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RAIL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed December 10, 1918. Serial No. 266,085.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE O. BORDSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cross Plains, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Clamps, of which the following is a speci fication.

My invention is an improvement in rail clamps, and the object of the invention is to provide an emergency clamp for repairing a broken rail in a short length of time and in a safe manner to permit the passage of traffic without the necessity for replacing the rail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a rail joint showing a clamp in use;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. I.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with rail ends 1, the ends being connected by the usual fish plates 2 and by means of the clamp to be described. In repairing temporarily a break, the rail ends are brought together in the usual manner, and the fish plates 2 are applied, one on each side of the joint in the usual manner.

These plates are of usual construction, being the ordinary fish plates used in laying the track. The clamp consists of two similar members, each being composed of a pair of similar bars 3 and 4, shaped at their upper ends to fit against the outer face of the fish plate, as indicated at 5.

Just below the rail the bars 3 and 4 have registering openings for receiving a bolt 6, and the bolt is engaged by a nut 7 At their lower ends the bars 3 and 4 have registering openings for receiving a bolt 8 which'has both ends threaded. Nuts 9 are threaded on the bolt at the inner faces of the bars, the said nuts engaging the lower ends of the bars and acting to force the said ends outwardly to force the upper ends of the bars 'inwardly, thus firmly clamping the fish plates on the broken rail ends.

The lower ends of the bars depend be tween the ties, and one clamp is arranged on each side of the joint. These clamping members are easily and quickly applied and will hold the rails in alinement under ordinary traffic until the rail can be replaced. Thus with the improved clamp there is no necessity for drilling holes through the webs of the rails, a long and laborious process, in order that the fish plates may be bolted on the rail ends. It will be understood that any form of mechanism might be used for spreading the lower ends of the bars to clamp the upper ends on the fish plates.

I claim:

1. An emergency rail joint comprising fish plates adapted to embrace the rail ends, and a clamp for clamping the plates on the rails at each end of the joint, each clamp comprising a pair of bars shaped at their upper ends to fit the outer faces of the fish plates, a bolt connecting the bars just below the rail, means at the lower ends of the bars for forcing said ends outwardly and the upper ends inwardly, the said means comprising a bolt having its ends threaded, the bars having openings through which the threaded ends extend, and a nut on the bolt at the inner face of each bar.

2. An emergency rail joint comprising fish plates adapted to embrace the rail ends, a clamp for clamping the plates on the rails at each end of the joint, each clamp comprising a pair of bars shaped at their upper ends to fit the outer faces of the fish plates, a bolt connecting the bars just below the rail, and means at the lower ends of the bars for forcing said ends outwardly and the upper ends inwardly.

OLE O. BORDSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

